I Dwell in Possibility
by QuickSpinner
Summary: A collection of short pieces, scenes, and one-shots, mostly Guy/Eep.
1. Enough

_The title of this collection comes from Emily Dickinson's poem of the same name. _

_I have a bunch of older short pieces that I like, but don't feel like they deserve their own fic, so I'm collecting them here. Some of them are early versions of other stories, where I ultimately went in another direction, but I still like some of the basic ideas. I'll be going through the old files periodically, cleaning up, and adding here, so sit back, take them for what they are, and enjoy._

_I debated long and hard about posting this first one as a second chapter to "Sitting in a Tree" but...I'm so happy with the base story as it was, and I really loved the sweetness of it, and I'm just not sure this fits. I've rewritten it several times. I tried it in Eep's POV, I tried it in Guy's, and I guess I like it okay for what it is, but I just can't make myself put it on that story. It tipped a little too far towards steamy for that. Adrenaline and hormones, yay.  
_

_This takes place pretty shortly after everyone runs down the hill to the beach._

* * *

Guy didn't really know what he'd expected to feel or think when he got here. Relieved, maybe, and on some level he knew he was, even though he couldn't seem to feel it the way he should. Happy – well, he was happy too, although right now happiness and relief were too closely tied to separate.

Maybe he was just still riding the high that came with being alive after a day that had done everything in its power to kill you. It didn't usually come this quietly, for him. Usually it was a feeling of invincibility, a sense that there was no such thing as impossible, and it gave him a burst of energy, determination, and inspiration that either resulted in some brilliant solution to an obstacle that he hadn't thought of before, or a lot of really energetic pacing and babbling that he couldn't remember later.

But here he sat, having done the impossible, with no real problems to solve and no obstacles at hand, and the unused energy seemed to hum just below his skin, making him feel fuzzy and disconnected instead of sharper, faster, stronger.

He sat with his back against a tree at the very edge of the jungle, where it gave way to the white sand of the beach, his elbows propped up on his knees, letting his head rest back against the trunk. He'd come here to try and sort out his thoughts, but neither thought nor feeling would come. He just sat there, feeling oddly removed from everything, watching the waves roll in on the beach.

"Hey."

Startled, he looked up. Eep crouched on a branch above him, grinning. Guy grinned back.

"Hey."

She flipped out of the tree, landing with a puff of sand a few feet in front of him. She straightened and studied him, hands on her hips.

"I can go if you'd rather be alone," she said.

"No," he said quickly. "No, I've been alone long enough."

She came to him and sat down between his knees, her back to him. "Um," he said cautiously, glancing around. "Where's your dad?"

Eep twisted to smile at him. "He and Mom went off together." Her grin turned to a smirk. "I don't think we'll be seeing them for a while."

Guy's mouth made a silent "oh" as he took her meaning. Eep turned back to watch the beach, wrapping her arms around her knees. "It's beautiful here," she said.

"Yeah," Guy agreed, but his eyes were on the muscles of her shoulders and back. He'd always had a clinical, practical interest in understanding how muscles worked and how they fit together, but watching Eep move inspired appreciation on an entirely different level.

He lifted his hands and put them on her shoulders, squeezing lightly. He brushed his thumbs across her skin and the energy humming in him coalesced like lightening striking a tree, and suddenly the mist was gone and he could feel again, and what he felt was sharp, intense, and aching.

Oblivious, Eep unfolded and leaned back against him. Hardly breathing, Guy put his arms around her, crossing his arms across her chest and resting his hands back on her shoulders. "Is it as good as you hoped?" she asked him, and he was so distracted by his pounding heart and her warm body against him that it took him a moment to figure out what she was talking about.

Oh. Right. Only his life's mission. His dream, his paradise. He glanced at the clear blue-green water, the white sand, and then he looked back at the freckled curve of her cheek, just visible as she turned her face slightly towards him to catch his answer.

"Better," he said. He turned his head towards her slightly and his nose brushed her ear. He couldn't help a smile as a hot flush colored her neck and the curve of her cheek. He hovered a moment, and then lowered his face to the crook of her neck and breathed in deeply. His sense of smell wasn't as acute as hers but he still wanted this, wanted her scent fixed in his mind. The smell of fire and ash still clung to her, a reminder of how close it had been.

"We almost didn't make it," Guy said, his lips brushing her skin as he spoke. He tightened his arms around her. They had been so close. For a terrible moment, he'd lost all hope.

"We did make it," she reminded him, reaching up to cover his hand with her own. He sighed onto her neck and she shivered. He ran the tip of his nose slowly from her shoulder up her neck as he inhaled her scent again. It wasn't enough. He brushed his lips against her neck.

She almost leapt out of his arms.

"Don't go," he said quickly, tightening his hold on her. "Please. I'm sorry, I just-" His voice trembled suddenly. "It was almost all over. We didn't make it and we were as good as dead." Eep put her hand over his again. "After all that I just-I want-" He hesitated, because he what he really wanted was a bad idea for so many reasons.

"Guy, it's okay," she said gently. "You just startled me." She blushed. "No one's ever touched me like that before."

"Sorry," he said, relaxing some.

"Don't be," she said, glancing over her shoulder at him. "I liked it." Eep settled back against him then and he tried to concentrate on just breathing as he held her. It took a few more minutes of silence for them to ease back into the comfortable feeling they'd had before.

But it wasn't enough, and after a very few more minutes, he turned his head to nuzzle her ear again. Eep's only answer was to angle her head, giving him better access to her neck. He took a slow breath. She held perfectly still as he slowly lowered his head. He stopped just short of touching her.

"Tell me to stop and I will," Guy said.

"Don't stop," she told him, and a tremor went through him. It was an effort to be gentle as he brushed his lips just below the hinge of her jaw, and then at the curve where her neck met her shoulder, and then pressed into the peak of her shoulder. He brought one hand up and ran his fingertips lightly down her throat. His other arm dropped and slipped under hers to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer against him.

She hummed in pleasure as he stroked her throat again and pressed a kiss into her jaw, and the sound made him shiver again. He had never been this close to another person, never touched anyone like this, never felt anything so intense as her skin under his lips and hands. His fingers slid away, along her collarbone and up over her shoulder, then tracing the line of the muscles in her arm. She turned her palm up and let him run his fingers run over it, and back down the big veins in her wrist, up over the curve of muscles on the inside of her arm. "You're so strong," he murmured, fascinated.

He could see the corner of her smile right before she flexed. Muscles popped under his hands and the sound he made then was almost a growl. She looked over her shoulder at him and grinned.

He bent his head to her neck again, kissing harder, more urgently this time. She let her head fall back on his shoulder, closing her eyes. It wasn't enough.

He dropped his hand from her arm to squeeze her muscular thigh, his thumb brushing the hem of her dress.

"Whoa," she gasped, lurching off him and grabbing his hand.

"Sorry," he panted, moving it away.

"Sorry, I just—" she started to apologize, twisting in his arms to face him. "I mean, I don't—uh—" He put his fingertips over her lips.

"You said no," he said, trying to smile, but his gaze was fixed on her mouth and the feel of her lips under his fingers was deeply distracting. "That's all you have to say." He moved his hand from her lips to cup her cheek and he kissed her.

Eep leaned into him, her embarrassment apparently forgotten. He made a small noise as her hands splayed on his chest, and kissed her again, and again. It wasn't enough. He moved slightly to glide his tongue against her lower lip. She froze.

He pulled back slightly. "Tell me to stop and I will," he reminded her, speaking against her lips.

"Don't stop," she murmured. "Show me." She didn't wait for him, putting her mouth back on his, and sliding her tongue along his lip.

"Mmm." He pulled back slightly to look at her. "I should probably remind you I've never done this before," he said, suddenly nervous. "I know the theory, but, um..."

"What's a theory?" she asked, and he smiled.

"I'll tell you later. I'm just saying, it might take us both some practice. Don't hold it against me."

Eep looked at him a moment, and then shrugged. "Show me."

He did his very best. As he'd told her, his knowledge of kissing was much more theoretical than practical, but there was nothing like experimentation to prove a theory, and no better way to build a skill than by practice. More than once they broke apart giggling, wiping their mouths after a particularly awkward attempt.

Somehow, the companionable fumbling, the shared laughter, cooled his burning need to something more manageable. Not that it didn't feel good, and when it went right it felt much better than good, but their mutual inexperience reminded him that there was more at stake here than the heat under his skin. They'd known each other for barely a week, neither of them had much experience with the opposite sex, and the intensity of the whole situation around them hadn't exactly been any kind of a proof of what their relationship would be like on a "normal" day.

It occurred to him, for the first time, that he was no longer living his life on a time limit. He finally had all the time in the world. No more running. He broke from Eep, holding her back when she tried to kiss him again. For a moment, he just looked at her, lips reddened and puffy, eyes dreamy, hair mussed. A smile spread across his face as he smoothed her hair.

"What?" she asked, breathless.

"We made it," he said softly. "We really did."

She smiled. "We did."

He kissed her again, slowly, taking in her scent and her taste and the feel of her lips, the flutter of her eyelashes against his cheek, the way she moved with him, the catch of her breath.

All the time in the world.

It just might be enough.


	2. A Weird Situation

_In "Sitting In a Tree" I also had a line where Guy said he had kissed somebody before, but it was a weird situation and he didn't think it counted. I hadn't really thought it through at the time, but it bugged me, because I'm anal that way, and I started thinking about what that might have been, and also about how awful it would be to go through all the craziness of puberty without anyone there to explain why your body was suddenly going nuts, and so this piece was born. It's not really a stand-alone, and it doesn't really fit with the original story, so I didn't know what to do with it until now. I like the idea, but the execution probably could have been a little more nuanced. Anyway, I had fun writing it, so here you go. _

* * *

**A Weird Situation**

He made his own camp on the outskirts of the nomad tribe's, close enough for some measure of protection but not so much that he was presuming on their hospitality. All of the tribes had their own customs, and Guy had learned to be cautious. Nobody had minded him when he was small, but with his height increasing almost daily and the sudden broadening of his shoulders, he was greeted with more wariness whenever he met others. This tribe had traded with him, let him eat with them, and while they hadn't invited him in, they hadn't chased him off, either.

He'd found a fairly secure area, at least, where he could sleep between his fire and a rock outcropping. That was a positive; he hated sleeping with his back exposed. He stretched himself out on the ground, watching the play of light and shadow on the rock above him, until his eyes began to drift shut.

He was almost asleep when he sensed a shadow fall over him. His eyes popped open and he had the faintest impression of a flowery scent before a pair of full lips crashed against his mouth. Every single nerve of his body suddenly awake and vibrating, he was completely unprepared for the sudden press of a soft, curving body all along his. For a moment, he couldn't breathe. Long eyelashes fluttered against his cheek.

When his surprise visitor finally released him, he gasped for air. She giggled.

"Um, hi," he said cautiously.

"Hi," she smiled, and he hadn't known a girl's voice could sound like that, soft and throaty. She leaned forward and kissed him again, her body sliding against his. He arched against her without meaning to, making a muffled sound against her lips - a sound that turned into an embarrassing kind of whimper when her tongue slid into his mouth.

His brain said he was in trouble. His body said he was in paradise.

"Take me with you," the girl breathed against his mouth. "I want to go with you."

"Where?" he asked stupidly, trying to figure out what in the world was going on. He might be dreaming, but his dreams usually weren't so—detailed.

"Anywhere," she said, with a touch of impatience. "I don't care, as long as it's not here." She dropped her head and trailed her lips across his collarbone. "I'll make it worth the trouble, I promise."

His body was chanting more, more, more and his mind was trying to tell him rather vehemently that this was a very bad idea, though he couldn't quite remember why. "Look, um...what's your name?"

"Jenna," she said, drawing back a little. She sounded put out. "We met earlier."

"Sorry, it's dark," he said, trying to think. It was easier now that she wasn't moving. "Jenna. The one with the nice hair?"

She shifted, and her hair fell in a soft cascade against him. That was the source of the flower scent he'd noticed earlier. "Okay," he said, his voice cracking. "I remember now. Um...what about your parents?"

"I don't have any," she said, an edge in her voice. "Nobody cares about me here."

It was all starting to make a little more sense now. She was like him - tolerated, but not really liked, and now she wanted out. With him.

Badly, apparently. Her lips touched his neck and he hissed through his teeth.

"It's dangerous," he managed.

"You're strong," she purred, her nails running down the newly defined muscles of his chest and abdomen. "You'll protect me."

"Me?" he practically squeaked, wincing at the crack in his voice. No one had ever called him strong before. He had been putting on more muscle lately, or so it had seemed to him. Vaguely he wondered what he looked like now; he hadn't seen his reflection in months.

She lifted her head and the firelight fell over her face for the first time. "Please," she said. "I'm not afraid. I just—I can't be here anymore." He could see hollow cheeks and red eyes, and suddenly he understood how desperate she was. _This is wrong_, he thought, as she moved against him again.

"W-wait, woah," he stammered, pushing himself up on his elbows, forcing her to move. Jenna sat up, and her weight settling on his hips made him bite the inside of his cheek. "You don't have to do this," he managed, grateful that his voice, for once, remained steady and deep. "If you want to go, I'll take you."

Her eyes widened, and then narrowed slightly. "Why?"

"You heard me tell the headman what's coming, right? If you stay here you'll die anyway. At least with me you have a chance."

Jenna tilted her head. "Do you really believe that? That the world is going to end?"

"I've seen it," Guy said shortly. "I'm not making it up." He was getting tired of not being believed. He shook it off. "Anyway, why not?" Guy shrugged, and smiled slightly. "I could use the company. I'm tired of being alone."

The fire flared and in that moment, he saw something in her eyes, and when she spoke, it was in a small, honest voice. "Me too."

Guy swallowed hard as that voice tugged at his own lonely heart. "Okay," he said. "We'll go."

She smiled, and then, a little hesitantly, leaned forward, eyes on his mouth. Guy put a hand on her arm, still braced on his other elbow. "Only if you want to," he said quietly, his heart in his throat.

She nodded, and bent closer. Guy's body was screaming _yes, yes, yes_, while his mind whispered, just this once...

Later he would remember, as he felt her breath on his face and his eyes drifted shut, seeing out of the corner of his eye their shadows thrown large against the rock, clear silhouettes that flickered and danced in the fire.

Her lips settled gently against his, warm and soft, and the fingers of his left hand dug into the ground beside him, his right still gripping her arm.

Then abruptly both her warmth and her weight were gone, her arm ripped out of his fingers. He heard her cry out just as pain exploded across his face, the force of the blow throwing him sideways. Before he could recover, another kick landed in his ribs. He heard Jenna scream.

But this was not the first time Guy had taken a sucker punch, and he grit his teeth through the pain, rolling away and coming up to his feet with a handful of ash from the fire. He threw his handful of ash in the man's face and delivered a carefully aimed kick to the man's stomach at the same time. The man's air whooshed out of him and he fell to his knees, struggling to breathe.

"Looks like we're going now," Guy said grimly, wiping his hand off on his pants. He looked over at Jenna, who cowered against the rock, her eyes wide and a hand over her mouth. "Come on," Guy urged. "He won't be the only one for long." He'd been through this routine enough to know what to expect. Nobody ever cared who started the fight or why. He hoped the girl could run. He didn't fancy taking on the whole camp single-handedly.

Jenna staggered to her feet, and started to come towards him, but the man on the ground lurched up and grabbed her wrist. "Don't," he wheezed, looking up at her.

Guy thought he saw a glimmer of recognition in Jenna's face, and his jaw tightened. Maybe she wasn't as alone in the village as she'd led him to believe. "Jenna, I have to go now," Guy said, looking back towards the camp. "Do you want to leave with me or not?"

"I-" Jenna looked at him, and back at the man still holding her wrist. Guy watched him warily, as the man started to get to his feet, raising his eyes to glare at Guy.

"I fight to win," Guy warned him, drawing his knife. "Just let us go. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You can go," the man grunted. "She stays." He tightened his hold on the girl's arm.

Guy looked at her. "Jenna? Go or stay?"

She was staring down at the man, and the man was staring back at her. "Jenna," the man said softly.

"I'm—" she swallowed, and looked up at Guy. "I'm staying," she said, so quietly he almost couldn't hear her.

He could still feel her lips on his. Guy turned away, grabbing a branch from the fire. "It's not safe here," he told them both one more time, not quite turning to look at them. "You need to get your tribe to high ground." He waited a beat, and when there was no answer, he turned away and started running.


	3. Comfort

_This idea eventually became Acceptance, although I'm not really sure which one came first – I think I actually wrote this one after I had started Acceptance, and eventually decided the original direction was better. But, there are still things I like about this version, mostly Gran. Enjoy!_

* * *

He woke in a cold sweat, breathing hard. It took a minute for reality of where he was to come back to him, to place the multi-toned snores of the Croods, the wheezing breath of Chunky, Douglas' whimpering. It was dark; there was no moon, and the fire had burned low in the night. Belt cooed sleepily as Guy stirred, putting his arms around Guy's neck. Guy lifted the little animal as he sat up, taking comfort in the warm vibration of Belt's purr.

That dream again. He hadn't had it in years, and but since he'd fallen in the tar pit with Grug, he couldn't seem to shake it. He curled up around Belt, trying to steady his breathing and think. He looked around, but he still couldn't see much. Clouds and trees must be blocking the thousands of suns above him. He was alone in the dark. Again.

Panic fluttered in his chest and he got to his knees. His eyes found the glow of the fire, and then slid off to one side of it. He thought he saw a darker shape in the shadows. Trembling, he moved quietly to it, feeling his way in the dark.

Finally his hand encountered something warm and yielding, and he closed his fingers around it. He felt muscle tense under his hand. "What is it?" Eep whispered, without moving. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Guy whispered quickly. He suddenly felt like an idiot. "I just—" he stopped.

Eep sat up and felt for him in the dark. Her hands found his chest and moved up his shoulders to touch his face. "You're shaking."

"I—had a dream," he said lamely.

There was a pause, during which Guy felt supremely stupid. Then he felt her move over, and her strong arms tugged him down beside her. He sighed, limp with relief, and sank down on the heap of furs, moving as close to her as he could get. Eep tucked his head under her chin and curled her body around him, solid and warm. Belt found himself a place near their stomachs and curled up, asleep immediately.

"Thanks," he whispered. She stroked his hair.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He hesitated. "I dreamed about when my parents died. I had it a lot before, right after-but it's been a while. Now I have it all the time."

She waited, still stroking him.

"It's different now," he said, almost inaudibly. "Sometimes it's not my parents. Sometimes it's yours. Or you." He turned his face into her neck and inhaled deeply, slipping his arm around her waist. "Or all of you at once. And I can't do anything, ever. I can't save anybody." His arm tightened around her. "And then I'm all alone again."

He felt Eep sigh. "What can I do?" she asked.

He pressed into her a little harder. "This. Just...be here. Please. I'll move before the others wake up. I just don't want to be alone."

"Okay." Her lips brushed his forehead. "I'm here." He felt her strong arms go around him, and sighed.

"Thank you," he whispered.

He hadn't expected to sleep again, but suddenly he was there again, back by the tar pit, begging on his knees for it to end differently. Instead, Eep's voice broke into his awareness. "Guy," she was whispering. "It's just a dream. I'm here." Her hands and voice soothed him back to sleep before he had time to fully awake, and finally, he slept without dreams.

This time, the sleep was calmer, but the awakening rough. Something hard and pointed poked him in the ribs. "Ow," he muttered, trying to shove it away. There was a snort, and then a whistling sound, and then he woke fully as Eep half sat up, dumping his head, which had been resting on her chest, onto the ground. He blinked up to see her hand raised over them, gripping Gran's walking stick, as if warding off a blow from it.

"All right, we're awake," Eep hissed. "What?"

"What?" Gran pulled her stick away and set the point in the ground, leaning on it. "It's almost dawn, that's what. If Grug wakes up and sees you two like this, Guy's a dead man."

Guy sat up and rubbed his eyes, thoroughly confused. The sky was definitely lightening, and he could see Gran and Eep both clearly. Eep folded her arms and scowled. "He had a bad dream. We weren't doing anything wrong."

"Did I ask?" Gran snorted. "And if you were doing anything, there wouldn't be anything wrong with it. It's your body. But somehow I doubt your father will agree with my rather enlightened views, so I suggest that you get to your own bed, boy."

"Right," Guy said tiredly, sitting up and then getting to his feet, a protesting Belt clinging to him sleepily. "I'm going."

Gran looked at him critically, and then leaned over and sniffed him.

"Hey," Guy shied away.

Gran shook her head. "No good. Her scent's all over you. You're doomed."

"We didn't _do_ anything," Eep hissed.

Gran threw her hands in the air. "If you think that's going to matter to your dad first thing in the morning, you're too stupid to be my granddaughter."

"Okay, everybody just hold on," Guy said, keeping his voice hushed. "Here." He took Belt from his waist and handed him to Eep. He looked at Gran.

"Hmm," Gran shrugged. "Might work. The two of you are together so much you smell pretty much the same. But what are you going to do?"

"I'm going fishing," Guy said, walking back to his own pallet and picking up one of the specially designed fishing spears he'd been working on. He came back to where Eep and Gran were having a whispered argument. They looked up as he approached. He held up the spear. "I got up early to go fish. Belt was tired so I left him with Eep." He looked at Gran and shrugged. "Nobody'll smell Eep over the fish, right?"

"Ha. Knew there was a reason I liked you." Gran slapped him on the back. "Next time you two be more careful. Can't always count on being caught by an old lady who needed to pee instead of a grumpy caveman who is _not_ a morning person."

Eep stood up, Belt in her arms. "Guy, this is stupid."

"I know," he said tiredly. "But she's right. Besides, I'm hungry." He grinned. "I'll be back in a while with breakfast. Go back to sleep." He touched her hand. "Thanks. For being with me."

Gran chortled.

"Not like _that_," Eep snapped. Gran patted her head affectionately, and then shoved Guy on his way.


	4. Inconvenient and Unexpected

_Much love to Android123 and UnicornGirl11 for the reviews on the first few chapters. Space Between Us, message thoroughly received, I've seen your request, and it's knocking around in my head, but I'll be honest…I'm kind of squicked out by food poisoning and sick people, so I don't know if it will happen. _

_Another old one that I found. I think I was still really feeling out the characters, but I love this one because Gran. Gran is just kind of awesome and I feel like she is a character rich with possibilities. I like to think of her as somebody who really didn't get what she wanted out of life, but she's never stopped fighting for something better and it's made her something of an opportunist. Not much use for men in general and Grug specifically. Now she's happy to hitch her wagon to Guy's star and see where it takes her. I think of the young gran as a more cynical version of Eep._

_This is set during the movie, up in the tree after the rock maze, after they've looked at the stars and the family has settled down to sleep._

* * *

**Inconvenient and Unexpected**

Guy sat in the circle of light, quietly feeding the fire. He knew he should be sleeping, but it felt like so much had happened in the last day that he couldn't seem to put his mind to rest. So he sat in the firelight, and thought, and watched Eep sleep. The firelight danced in her copper hair, and her side rose and fell softly with the slow rhythm of her breath.

"Got it bad, don't you, sonny?" Guy jumped and looked up. Gran stood beside him, the light of the fire throwing her craggy features into sharp relief. She sat down by him, uninvited, and Guy tried to think of something to say. He opened his mouth, and then caught Gran's look, and shut it again. He sighed.

"That obvious, huh?" he muttered, looking back at the fire.

"Only to someone who's been there before," Gran said, patting his back. That was weird. He hadn't been patted in years. "Catches you off guard, doesn't it?"

"I didn't even realize until today," he said, shifting in his seat. For a moment neither of them said anything. Then Guy shook his head.

"I can't believe I left her," he said, keeping his voice quiet. "That first night. I asked her to come with me, and she wouldn't, and I left her." He shook his head. "You all could have died that day, and I wouldn't even know what I was missing."

"Ah, sonny, why couldn't you have come along fifty years earlier," sighed Gran. "Or even thirty. I was wishing and praying for someone like you all that time, but no one ever came for me." She glanced at him. "I didn't always live in a cave, you know. My family were nomads, just like yours."

He looked at her sharply. "How did you know that?" She poked a bony finger into the marks on his arm.

"Knew your tribe, or someone like them," she said. "Guessing there aren't many of you left, huh?"

"Just me," Guy muttered, staring at the ground.

"Figured. Well, anyway, my father traded me off and suddenly there I was, mistress of the grandest cave in the desert with the most cowardly, miserly, mean husband my father could possibly have found." She sighed. "I would have gone, and left him, and left the kids too, if it came to that. I would have done anything to get out of there."

Guy didn't really know what to say to that, so he just said, "Sorry."

"Eep's not meant to live in a cave," Gran said. "Too much spunk. Too much like me. Too much like her mom_ used_ to be, before loving that giant noodlehead got to be enough for her."

"I know Grug's doing his best, but..." Guy shook his head. "I've known Eep for only a few days and I know it would kill her to be kept in a cave in the dark for the rest of her life. How can he not see it?" There was a flash of anger in his voice, and Gran nodded approvingly.

"Because he doesn't want to." Gran poked him. "Just like he doesn't want to see her throwing herself at you. Easier to make you the predator after his baby than it is to see her as a young woman starting to make her own choices."

"I didn't do it on purpose," Guy said, glad to finally vent his frustration to somebody. "I didn't expect to—" he stopped.

"Fall in love?" Gran nudged his shoulder with hers. "That's just the way it happens. Inconvenient and unexpected."

Guy sighed. "So now what do I do?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing," Gran patted his shoulder. Still weird. "Grug'll never change, but Eep—she's a smart one. He's not going to be able to stuff her back in a cave now that she's seen what's out there. She'll make the right choice." Gran snorted. "Or else she's too stupid to be related to me. Grug's the past. If she wants a future, she'll have to go with you." She got up, pressing down on Guy's shoulder for support. "Just make sure you don't forget old Gran when you go."


	5. Risk

_This one's for you, Maeve Howard. Sorry you're having a tough time!_

_This is one of the oldest – I think the second oldest – Croods piece I did. I might have actually posted this one if I had ever gotten around to writing the fight that Guy refers too, but I'm so awful with action scenes that I just kind of never went back and did it. Because I am a natural worrier, as I was watching the movie I kept thinking to myself "you know...that's actually really dangerous..." and thus, this fic was born._

_One quick housekeeping note – a couple of people have messaged me with thoughts or requests they'd like to see in this collection, and that's totally okay! I really appreciate the support I've gotten and I'm fine with people sending me thoughts, ideas, requests, etc__.__ HOWEVAH. I make no commitments as far as fulfilling requests. If something tickles my fancy, I'll probably write it eventually. If it doesn't, I won't. It's not personal, and I can't always predict what I will or won't want to do. I've just learned that trying to make myself write something I'm not interested in results in a general inability to write ANYTHING, so I don't try anymore. Also, the pieces I've posted to date were all written and mostly complete before I even decided to start posting these stories, so updates won't be as quick once I've posted all the old stuff. I think I have two, maybe three more that might make it up here in the near future. "Impossible" is my priority right now – I'm almost done with the next chapter. I was hoping to put it up today, but I think I have some revising to do on the end, so probably tomorrow. _

* * *

**Risk**

"Eep?"

She didn't move. He supposed that was a good sign; he'd been afraid she would run from him and he knew he'd never be able to catch her if she did. She remained still as he came up and sat cross-legged in the sand next to her. She didn't look at him, brows drawn and eyes fixed on her small fire. Guy cleared his throat, looking down at his hands.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," he began. "I lost my patience, and then I lost my temper. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm sorry."

That was all it took. Eep looked up at him and smiled, twining a piece of hair around her finger. She slowly uncurled, her other hand coming down on the sand beside him. Guy covered it with his and squeezed. She slid closer to him and cuddled against his shoulder. Guy smiled. "You forgive me?"

"Yeeeah," Eep said, bumping her shoulder against his. He almost fell over.

_Just like that_, he thought, feeling a warmth spread through him. _She really is amazing__._

Then he shook his head to clear it. "Uh, good. Because I have something important to say to you and it would be kind of awkward if you were still mad."

"What is it?" Eep leaned even closer to him, and he slid away almost without thinking. Oblivious as always to his need for personal space, she followed, sliding after him, and he put his hands on her shoulders to stop her. He needed enough distance to think clearly if he didn't want to mess this up.

"First you have to promise me to sit still and not say anything until I'm finished. Okay?"

Eep's brows came down again and she growled. She hated sitting still, but he couldn't talk to her while she was hopping all over the place.

"I'm serious, Eep," Guy told her, putting on his sternest face. "This is important."

She sat back on her rump with a thump and a grumble, folding her arms. Guy settled back in the sand with a sigh. "I promise, it'll be worth it, okay?" He reached out and tugged one of her arms until she sighed, unfolding her arms to let him take her hand again. He took it in both of his and held it, watching her until she finally relaxed and smiled again. He loved that forgiveness came so easily for her.

He cleared his throat, looked down at their hands, and then back up in her face. "You scared me today, Eep." He put up a hand to forestall the question he saw coming. "Uh uh. Wait." She closed her mouth and slumped slightly. "You are fearless, and impulsive, and reckless," he said, squeezing her hand slightly, "and I love that about you." She began to grin again. "But," he continued, "You can't just rush into things without looking, especially new things." Now she looked confused. "New things aren't always bad," he said gently. "But sometimes they are. Some new things are bad some times but not others." Now she looked confused. He paused to consider. "Like fire," he said. "Fire is good, but when you touched it, it hurt, right?" She nodded. "So sometimes you have to learn what the rules of a new thing are so you don't get hurt." He looked down. "That's why I yelled at you. Because when you jumped out there I was scared that you would get hurt, and being scared made me angry."

"But—"

He put two fingers over her lips, and she stopped. "But you didn't get hurt. I know. I'm glad. But you could have been hurt, and if you don't start thinking before you rush into things, you WILL get hurt." She was starting to look sour, and he grinned. "I know, I sound like your dad right now. But your dad wants to protect you because he loves you. He wants you to be safe." Guy paused. "I don't think there's any such thing as safe," he said after a moment, dropping his eyes to their hands again. "The closest we can probably get is 'less dangerous.' Being stuck in a cave is less dangerous than exploring the world, but it still isn't safe." He looked up at her, his eyes serious. "Eep, there is nothing – _nothing_ – I can do that will keep you safe. I know that. And I _don't_ want you to change." He touched her face, his expression softening. "I like you just the way you are. I just want you to slow down a little, and be more careful. Let me teach you a less dangerous way to learn about new things." She looked surprised, fidgeting a little in place. He smiled a little.

"Eep, not every idea is a good idea. I've been running from the end for a long time. All the ideas you've seen me use up till now have been the good ones. Since we've met, there haven't been that many things we've run into that I haven't seen before, and that's why we moved so quickly. Sometimes it takes a long time to find the right idea for an obstacle." Eep's forehead crinkled.

"What's an obstacle?" she said, and then slapped her free hand over her mouth. "Sorry," she mumbled, and Guy grinned.

"It's okay. An obstacle is something that's in your way. Like that lake we crossed. The last time I ran into a lake it took me a long time to figure out to get across. I had to watch the other animals and figure out how to swim." He nodded when she looked surprised. "You've just never seen all the times I failed. Or all the times I got hurt because I tried something that didn't work." He let go of her hands and turned his palms up to the light, so she could see the scars that crisscrossed them.

"This place is beautiful," Guy continued as she grabbed his hand and examined it, running her fingers lightly over his scars. "And there's a lot of new stuff h—_ow, OW, Eep_!" She had twisted his wrist around, and she dropped it quickly, and he pulled his hand back and glared at her. She gave him a sheepish look. Guy cleared his throat. "Anyway. Um. There's a lot of new stuff here that we have to learn about. New to me too. We have a lot of things to figure out. It's not always going to be fast or easy. We're going to have to be patient and go slowly sometimes." He reached out and took her hand again. "I'm going to need your help."

"Really?" she whispered.

"Really," he said, softly. His heart was suddenly beating faster and he was finding it hard to breathe. "Eep, you're so much stronger than I am."

"Well, yeah," she grinned, flexing her body so that the muscles stood out on her arms and back.

"And you're fast," he added.

Eep giggled and wiggled, dragging one finger in the sand. "Yeah," she admitted, pleased by his praise.

"And absolutely terrifying," he added, grinning.

She gasped, and leaned on his shoulder, her eyes wide and adoring in that way that made something in his chest swell while his knees turned to water and his face burned. "Guy..." she whispered. "Really?"

He leaned into her without meaning to, resting his cheek on the top of her head. "Really," he said roughly. He was squeezing her hand so tight his knuckles were white, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Is it my turn now?" Eep asked softly.

"What?" he lifted his head slightly. "Uh, yeah. Sure."

"I love you."

Guy's mouth dropped open. He drew back to look at her, stunned.

Her face was serious. "You're right, about the not being safe thing. Look how fast my life changed when I met you. Anything could happen." She looked down, drawing her finger through the sand. "I almost lost my dad without ever telling him that I loved him," she said. She peeked up at him through her hair. "I don't ever want that to happen again. I'm never going to forget to say it ever again."

Guy was finding it extremely difficult to breathe, let alone speak. He felt like an idiot. Of course he had known she liked him; it had never occurred to her to hide it. Why was he so paralyzed because she said in words what her eyes told him every day? Not wanting her to go unanswered, he took her hand and placed it against his chest, where his heart was hammering like he'd been running for his life instead of sitting quietly in the sand with her.

Eep's hand slid from his chest to the back of his neck, and her other arm came up around him. She slid practically into his lap, pressing her body against him, which did nothing to help him recover his composure.

A hug, he realized dimly. She was hugging him. He lifted shaking hands and placed them on her back. "Am I, uh," he swallowed "Am I doing this right?"

She shook her head slightly where it rested against him. "Tighter."

He took a deep breath, and then wrapped his long arms around her, pulling her even closer against him. "Better?"

"Mm," Eep sighed, and her breath on his neck made him feel dizzy.

He cleared his throat and stood abruptly, practically dumping her out of his lap. She somersaulted backwards and came back up easily, hopping towards him in a half crouch as she looked up into his face. "Didn't you like it?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Yes! I mean, it was nice, I just—" he shied away as she came nearer.

"Are you afraid of me?" she asked, looking puzzled and, he thought, a hurt – which seemed a little inconsistent, but he let it go in favor of reassuring her.

"No," he said quickly. "No. I'm afraid of—" realization dawned on him. "I'm afraid of me."

"Huh?" Eep tilted her head the other direction, now looking completely confused.

"It's just..." Guy stood up, gesturing, trying to explain. "When you're close to me, I have all these feelings, that I never had before and it's so...new," he finished lamely, looking at her.

She looked tense. "Bad new or good new?"

"Uh—" he would have been really glad for an interruption just then, but none came. Where was Grug when Guy needed him? "Good," he said finally. "I think good. I think."

Eep laughed at him, and then moved closer. "Stop thinking, Guy." She leaned in and pressed her nose against his. Guy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to think. She was warm against his nose and forehead, and she smelled of smoke and wind and sea. Unbidden, an image came to him – his mother and father, standing together like this, touching heads and hands and—

"Was that so bad?" Eep asked, pulling away slightly.

Guy smiled. "No. But where I come from, we do it like this." He took her face in his hands and tilted it gently, and pressed his lips to hers. She made a quiet noise and swayed against him. "Do that again," she said, when he released her. He did. As always, she was a quick study, and soon her mouth molded to his and she pressed back against him. He was unprepared for the jolt that went through him just then, like lightening had struck nearby. He pulled back and looked at her. Eep gazed up at him, smiling and dreamy-eyed. "That was nice," she said.

"Yeah." He took her hands and put her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her and pulled her closer, and then found her lips with his again.

Not thinking was rapidly becoming much easier with her lips under his, her muscled back under his hands, her fingers in his hair, and her curves pressed the length of his body. Guy was pretty sure that if Grug found them now, he was a dead man, and Guy was equally sure that he didn't care. It would be worth it.

Everything was so much simpler when it was just the two of them.

He pulled away from her mouth but didn't let her go. "Do you remember the day we fell into that rock maze with the crystal cavern?"

"The day you asked me to come with you," she nodded.

"That was the day I knew I didn't ever want to be alone again. That was the day—" he hesitated. Why was this so hard? "The day I fell in love with you," he finished. If Thunk hadn't shown up at that very moment, in fact, there was no telling what else he might have done or said, with this same lightening-too-close feeling making his body tingle and his blood race, even though only their hands had been touching.

Eep's smile lit up the night and caught his breath away. He swallowed hard, and then she hugged him again, laying her head on his shoulder. "You're shaking," she said softly.

"Yeah," he admitted.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe...I haven't had to care about anybody but myself in a long time. Now I have you and — what if something happens? How could I go back to being alone again after having something like this?" He tightened his hold on her. "Promise me you'll be careful."

Eep didn't answer for a moment. "I'll be careful," she said at last, "But you have to promise not to turn into my dad."

He chuckled. "Fair trade. Deal." He pushed her away enough to be able to look in her face. "I'll always want to keep you as safe as I can. But I'll never take the choice away from you."

She touched his face. "I love you."

It came easier this time as he covered her hand with his own. "I love you."

A voice bellowed out of the trees.

"Aaaaaand I think that's our cue to go back," Guy sighed, reluctantly letting go of her. The night breeze was suddenly freezing in the absence of her warmth.

Eep rolled her eyes and turned to kick sand over her fire.


	6. Sunrise

_Someone with more self-discipline might spread these updates out a bit more, but I am not that person. Also, seeing some of the reviews coming in on the most recent chapter of Impossible, I feel guilty. So have some happy fun fluff._

_As always, I am super grateful for all my reviewers – Karts of Sugar Rush (thank you x4!), Maeve Howard, and Kai Moon._

_This story is set in the first morning of Tomorrow. This was another stab at a second chapter for Kissing in a Tree, but it didn't make the cut either. I like a little more conversation with my makeouts, I guess._

_One thing that has always bugged me about the movie is that the sun seems to move around a lot. I really tried at one point to figure out the direction of travel & where the sun would actually rise and set, but either the geography was more complicated than I think it is, or the moviemakers were totally inconsistent. Also, why the heck was Guy walking very distinctly AWAY from his mountain when Eep blows the horn? Maybe he was just looking for a place to sleep. Suffice it to say I think about this stuff waaaaaaay too much._

_Anyway, for my purposes and based on that very first scene in the desert plus the sun being in front of them in the morning as they cross over the mountain, I decided that Guy was traveling towards the sunrise, and that therefore when they get to tomorrow, the sun rises over the ocean. Not a perfect interpretation and I'm sure you could make arguments for something different, but that's what I'm sticking with._

_Wow, that was a long intro. Sorry._

_ETA: Oops...there's always an error I don't find until I publish, it seems. I fixed it - if you didn't notice, then, carry on. :)_

* * *

**Sunrise**

Eep started awake instantly at the hand on her arm. "What's wrong?" she whispered, scenting the air for danger.

"Nothing." It was Guy. "I didn't meant to scare you," he whispered. "I'm going to watch the sunrise. Come with me?"

Eep sat up and looked at him. She couldn't see him clearly; he was a darker, more solid shape against a darkness that had gone blue-grey instead of the pitch black of true night. She had never seen darkness like this.

She had never seen a sunrise, either. "Okay," she said, getting her feet under her. Guy's fingers slid down her arm to find her hand and fold around it. They picked their way carefully around the rest of the family, and Guy led her into the trees towards the beach. It was darker under the canopy and they had to move slowly. Eep felt Guy breathe a sigh of relief as they emerged back into the half-light on the beach. The sky over the water was lighter, fading into a deeper blue than she had ever seen before overhead.

"Oh," she sighed, looking up. She let go of Guy's hand, rose up on the balls of her feet, and rotated slowly, noting the shift in colors from the sky blue at the horizon to the deep night still visible across the trees. Clouds streaked parts of the sky darker here and there. In the time it took her to complete the turn, the patch of light blue over the water grew bigger, and a line of gold formed along the waterline. "Wow," she whispered.

She watched in fascination as the gold band grew wider, and a band of pink formed below it. The underside of the clouds began to glow softly.

Eep turned to look at Guy, a question on her lips that died as soon as she saw his face. He wasn't looking at the sunrise. He was staring at her. She tilted her head at him. "What?"

His eyes widened slightly. "Huh?" He sounded out of breath.

Her forehead creased. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I..." His face reddened and he swallowed. "I just...really want to kiss you right now," he admitted, eyes fixed on her face.

Heat spread through her cheeks and down her body.

"You'll miss the sunrise," she said lightly.

Guy smiled and shrugged. "There'll be another one tomorrow."

Her breath quickened and she couldn't look away as he stepped nearer. The first brush of his fingers on her face made her tingle. He wasn't holding her, not really, just resting the pads of his fingers lightly on her cheek.

The first press of his lips was soft, tentative. The second was harder, more confident, and his free hand came to rest on her hip. As she returned his kiss, he folded himself closer to her, the hand on her face falling to squeeze her shoulder. His lips left hers for an instant and then returned, more urgently than before.

This was nothing like when he had kissed her before; the warmth that suffused her then became a pulsing spike of heat that went right through her. She put her hands on his arms, and pressed her body into his. His lips broke from hers in a quick gasp and then he was back again. He let go of her hip to wrap his arm around her waist, and move the hand on her shoulder to her back. For the first time it occurred to her notice, really notice, the firm muscles moving under her hands as she slid them up to his shoulders.

The sky above them had gone from deep blue to pink and gold, but neither of them noticed. The flicker of his tongue against her lips surprised her, and he paused when she jumped, but she didn't move away. She brushed his lower lip with her tongue shyly, an invitation to show her what he wanted, and he did, the hand on her back sliding into her hair to tip her head back further as he deepened the kiss.

For a few moments she was passive in his arms, taking in the new sensations and coming to terms with the strangeness of this new kind of kissing as he explored her mouth with typical enthusiasm and thoroughness. She decided she liked it. When she thought she understood, she rose on her toes and turned the tables on him, sliding her tongue along his, and the tremor that went through him, the sudden clutching of his hands, was almost as exciting as the kiss itself. Eep had never been _wanted_ before.

Inexperience made their frantic embrace inelegant and messy, but neither of them knew enough to care. Gradually their frenetic rhythm slowed, grew softer, and finally they parted, hovering a breath apart, both a little awed by the experience. Eep could hear the harsh pant of his breath even over the ocean waves and her own pulse pounding in her ears.

The first flare of the sun burst over the water, flooding the beach with light. Guy and Eep both raised their hands to shield their eyes, turning away from each other to look towards the horizon. Eep had just a glimpse of burnished gold deepening into intense pink before the colors were gone, giving way to the vivid blue of the morning sky.

"Wow," Eep breathed.

"You can say that again," Guy said fervently, his arm still around her waist, and Eep wasn't entirely sure he was referring to the sunrise.


	7. Family

_Thank you Maeve Howard and ImagineDragonz7 for your reviews on the last chapter! I'm glad you enjoyed! Thanks also to everyone who is following or faving the story, I appreciate those too. _

_Karts of Sugar Rush, I had to laugh when I saw your note on "Only Natural" last night. Clearly we were on the same vibe, although this probably wasn't what you had in mind._

_So this is a little follow-up to "Only Natural." Proponents of the "show, don't tell" rule will hate this story, I'm afraid – I would almost call this a sketch rather than a story, just a little exploration of what Eep and Guy's family might eventually look like. Anyway, I enjoyed it and I hope you will too._

_Still working on the next chapter of Impossible, for those who are following. I just haven't heard that "click" where it all comes together and I'd rather take the time to do it right._

* * *

**Family**

Guy sat in the shade thrown by the little house he built in Crood Valley so many years ago. His mate lay next to him, her head pillowed on his leg, fast asleep in the heat of the afternoon. It meant he couldn't move, but Guy was content to enjoy the quiet, punctuated by the gentle rush of the valley's tiny waterfall. He would be stiff later, but for now, it was nice.

He smiled as his eldest son entered the valley, making his daily visit to check on them, faithful in his self-imposed duty as always. Little Guy grinned as he strolled towards the house. "Hi, Dad."

Everyone still called him Little Guy, though he was anything but. He stood head and shoulders taller than his father and he was quite a bit broader, with big hands and bigger muscles. Having been skinny and lean all his life, Guy took a secret pride in his son's strength, strength that came from his mother, tempered by a gentle and caring heart.

"Hello, son," Guy smiled back. He tipped his head to indicate his sleeping mate, and Little Guy nodded, lowering his voice.

"Need anything?"

"No, not really," Guy replied. "Come and sit for a while."

"In a minute," Little Guy's easygoing grin flashed again, as he began a familiar routine, checking to see what needed doing around the valley. As a child, he had been a gift, and had borne all the mistakes of his first-time parents with grace and enduring patience. He was also, in Guy's opinion, the best older brother that any sibling could ask for, a patient protector, keeper of secrets, healer of hurts, and a steadying influence on the four children who followed him into the world. Now, as an adult, he was still steadfastly loyal, visiting more often than any of the other children. He came up from the village often to help out, or to bring food, or just to sit and talk. Guy flexed his swollen hands restlessly. It frustrated him that there were things he could no longer do, but as Guy's joints began to stiffen and Eep's stamina to flag, Little Guy had quietly stepped in, making sure that nothing his parents needed went unattended to.

"Have you heard from your sister lately?" Guy asked. "She hasn't been home in a few days." Technically, Ember still lived in the valley, in one of the other huts Guy had built when their family began to need more room, but she disappeared frequently, often without warning. Guy had learned to live with it, though he worried for her constantly.

If Little Guy was the steadiest of their little stars, Ember was the brightest, so passionate and intense that Guy sometimes wondered if she mistook her name for a challenge. Her black hair was cropped as short as she could get it, sticking up in unruly spikes. She had a slightly softer version of her father's angular features, and her dark eyes, framed with heavy lashes, took the breath of everyone she met. She, too, was broader than Guy, though only a little taller, and he saw in her physique a longer, leaner version of her mother. She certainly had all Eep's speed and agility, as well as her strength of both body and character.

"No," Little Guy answered as he went about his usual routine of checking their tools, checking the house, making sure they had enough firewood. "I'm sure she's all right though. She said something last week about going to check on Aunt Sandy, that's probably where she is."

"Probably," Guy sighed, and Little Guy sent him a sympathetic glance.

Guy loved all his children, but he could not help being awestruck by his brightest and most beautiful child, his first little girl and the biggest challenge of his life. After Little Guy's easygoing nature, Ember's willfulness and independence had left her parents rather staggered. One force of nature did not yield easily to another, and Guy and Little Guy both had occasionally been hard pressed to keep the peace between mother and daughter, but Guy knew Eep was proud of Ember's fierce, uncompromising ways all the same. Her quick mind made her impatient and sharp with most people, but she was a daddy's girl at heart and Guy loved her fiercely.

Wresting his thoughts from worries over his beloved but unpredictable wild child, Guy said, "Nan brought the baby by yesterday. Did you say something to her?"

Little Guy bit his lip, a blush coloring his dusky skin at being caught in a good deed. "I may have. She forgets how hard it is for you to come to them these days."

"It's not that hard," Guy defended automatically, but he appreciated Little Guy's thoughtfulness just the same. Guy was at a loss to explain how he and Eep could have raised two such completely different little girls in the same home one right after the other, but their third child turned out to be an easy-going, cheeky, garrulous girl, not easily offended by her sister's sharp tongue and absolutely adored by her big brother. Nan was a little piece of sunshine in human form, as addicted to hearth, home, and conversation as Ember was to wild places and solitude.

Unfortunately Nan was also as prone to fall in love as Ember was resistant to it, and Guy had been at his wits' end trying to hold her to some degree of common sense and caution when boys came courting – much to his father-in-law's amusement, while he had been alive. Nan was fairer than either Little Guy or Ember, with a rounded face, reddish-brown hair, a wide grin, and kind eyes that reminded Guy so much of Ugga that it almost hurt. Though she didn't have Ember's striking beauty, her sweetness, especially contrasted with her sister's coldness, made up for it, and many a man that came seeking Ember seemed to reconsider upon meeting Nan.

Though he felt she'd been a bit young, Guy had been more relieved than anything else when Nan had finally settled on a steady, reliable man as the sole object of her undying adoration. He thought her suitor rather ordinary and Eep thought him dull as dirt, but neither had objected when the young man stuttered out his intentions. Privately, Guy felt that Nan could have done better, but she was happy and that was what mattered to him. Just this winter she had delivered Guy's first grandchild, a chubby little boy who giggled almost as much as he drooled.

"I told Mac to come by too," Little Guy continued, "But one of his macawnivores is about to have a litter, and he didn't want to leave her until the kittens were born."

The least physically imposing of all the siblings, Mac had been an escape artist almost from birth, sneaking off into the jungle any chance he got. Mac owed all of his looks to his father, except his hazel eyes and the tint of red in his long mane of hair. He had the care of Chunky's descendants, and a continually growing menagerie of other animals that he befriended or found orphaned. Mac had left home even before Nan, because there wasn't enough room for all his pets in the valley.

"He said to say hello and he'll come by when he can," Little Guy continued, and then he grinned. "Also said to tell Grug no, he can't have one of the kittens."

"Why not?" whined an uneven voice from above them.

"There you are," Guy said, a touch of annoyance in his voice as he turned his eyes up as a pouting face appeared over the edge of the roof. "I was looking for you earlier."

Caught, the youth scowled, and flipped himself down onto the ground, shoving his hands in his pockets in a way that made Guy sorry he ever invented them. "You had chores to do," Guy reminded him, fixing his youngest with his sternest look.

Grug hunched his shoulders and ignored his father, turning to his oldest brother. "Why can't I have one?" he demanded.

"Well," Little Guy said genially, continuing his work, "First of all, a macawnivore's kind of big for a first pet. Second, you need to prove you're responsible enough to take care of one. You know how protective Mac is of all his animals." He grinned at his younger brother. "Doing your chores might be a step in the right direction."

"Mac's stupid," Grug muttered. "It's just a dumb animal."

"Say that where he can hear you and he'll never let you have one," Little Guy advised, arching an eyebrow.

Grug growled and spun on his heel, pelting towards the valley entrance – presumably to go irritate his animal-mad brother. All legs and arms, Grug was shooting up like a weed and only just now beginning to fill out in the shoulders, though he was already beefier than Mac. Once a sweet little boy, though more intense than any of the rest of the children besides Ember, he now wore a perpetual scowl on his face, and Guy lived in fear that he would shoot off his mouth at the wrong person and get a pounding. Little Guy wasn't easily goaded, but Eep had had to step in more than once to keep Ember from pummeling the boy. Neither were sure how many times Mac and Grug had come to blows; Mac was more easygoing than Ember but he had his limits, and he was too smart to fight where he would be caught. Guy had asked Little Guy about it once, concerned, but his eldest just grinned and told him not to worry about it. "Grug's bigger," Little Guy had said, "But Mac fights dirty. Just let them work it out."

Guy sighed. "Teenagers. I'm thankful he's the last one."

"Every time I talk to him I feel like I should come to you and apologize for my past misdeeds," Little Guy grinned.

Guy smiled. "The hope that he may turn out as well as you in the end is all that keeps me from strangling him in his sleep."

Little Guy blushed, keeping his eyes on his task.

"I'm very proud of you, son," Guy said quietly.

"Thanks, Dad," Little Guy mumbled, embarrassed as always at the praise.

"How's it going with Neen?" Guy asked, his smile widening.

Little Guy blushed again, a deep red this time. "It's going. I'm almost there. A few more trips out in the boat and I should have enough."

"I hope she's worth it," Guy said, watching him. "You've put a lot of work into this. I hope—I hope she loves you the way you deserve to be loved." He threaded his fingers lovingly through Eep's hair.

"I think she does," Little Guy said shyly. "And I know I love her. It's just her father, is all. She's his baby. I think setting the terms so high was just his way of keeping her around a little longer."

Guy smiled. "I know how that goes. I would just hate for you to go through all this and then find out in the end that she wasn't what you wanted." He hesitates. "Do you want me to go and talk to her father?"

"No. I want to do this myself," Little Guy said, his eyebrows lowering in determination. "I wish he would let us spend more time together, but—" His hand drifted up to touch a beaded feather hanging around his neck, one Guy didn't remember seeing before. It looked like one of the hair ornaments favored by the women in the village. Nan had one like it. "I think she cares," Little Guy said, with a small smile, still looking at the ground.

Guy sat back, satisfied. "I'm glad. You deserve to be happy. You've waited long enough."

"If all I wanted was a mate, I could have found one years ago," Little Guy said seriously and without any hint of ego. "But that's not enough. I want what you and Mom have. That's not easy to find. I think it'll be worth it in the end, though."

Guy looked down at his sleeping mate. "Definitely," he said softly, stroking her hair again.

Eep stirred under his hand and stretched, pushing herself up. Green eyes blinked sleepily at him, and Guy touched her cheek with a smile. "Welcome back."

"Ugh, my neck," she grumbled, rubbing it.

"Hey, Mom," Little Guy said, coming over to sit with them. He put his big hands on his mother's shoulders and kneaded gently. Guy felt a twinge of jealousy, stretching his sore fingers again.

"Mm. You're my favorite, have I told you that?" Eep sighed.

"Not today," Little Guy grinned.

"What about me?" Guy pouted.

Eep reached for him and wrapped her small hand around his, swollen knuckles and all. "I could never love anybody more than I love you," she said, and Guy smiled.

Nomad. Cavewoman. Those terms had long since ceased to mean anything for them. They had created something new here together, something beautiful, and while it hadn't been easy, while they had hurt and been hurt, while there had been blood and loss and tears, Guy couldn't find fault with the life that led him here, or the family he and Eep had raised.

* * *

_Since someone will probably ask, I didn't have specific ages in mind when I wrote this, but I would say Little Guy's probably mid-twenties, Ember's 20ish, Nan's 18ish, Mac 17ish, and Grug about 14 or 15. Eep and Guy are probably somewhere in their late 40's, early 50's, somewhere in there. I don't want to imply they're invalids or anything, but their lifestyle has to have been fairly tough on their bodies and they're certainly feeling their ages. _


	8. Here We Go Again

Thanks for the reviews Karts of Sugar Rush, Super Guest, and Maeve Howard! Regarding the number of kids, I kinda think Guy would be excited about having a big family. I also have to figure that the Croodaceous era was not a time of sophisticated birth control methods.

And on that note...here's a little thing I dashed off for Mother's Day, hot off the presses (meaning, I haven't done any editing at all). Enjoy.

* * *

"You're an amazing mom."

Eep frowned and looked at her mate like he had grown two heads. "And you are a big fat liar," she said flatly.

Guy grinned and chuckled. "No, I'm not. You're good at this."

Eep rapped his head gently (for her) with her knuckles. "Hello...anyone in there? Did you just spontaneously forget the last seven years?"

Guy winced. "Ow. And no. I was there, and I remember. And I still think you're a good mother. None of our kids have managed to get themselves killed or maimed for life no matter how hard they've tried, and they're both pretty awesome." He reached down to the basket at their feet and rubbed Nan's round belly. She giggled and cooed. "Little early to tell with this one yet, but I think she shows promise."

"She's a happy baby, at least," Eep admitted, as Nan went back to trying to eat her fingers. "Not like Ember. I don't know which of us cried ourselves to sleep more often."

"It was definitely her," Guy said, his face scrunching at the memory of Ember's constant howling. "Because neither of us got nearly as much sleep as she did. But, hey." He nudged Eep's shoulder with his own, jerking his chin in the direction of their two older children, who were playing some type of game that appeared to be little more than an excuse for Ember to climb all over Little Guy. "She's still turning out pretty good." Eep didn't have to look at him to know his eyes were shining with pride. "She's strong, and she's smart. She figured out how to undo the knots on the ropes I used to keep her out of the mud wallow in no time flat." He grinned.

"She's also a total pain. You weren't here for the tantrum she threw yesterday," Eep said gloomily. "Wishing for the earth to open up and swallow your child doesn't sound like being a good mom to me."

"But you resisted the urge to drop her off the cliff edge and pretend it was an accident," Guy pointed out, and Eep bit her lip to keep from smiling. "That deserves some credit. And Little Guy's a sweet kid and a great big brother."

"I didn't even_ do_ anything with Little Guy," Eep protested. "He just...came out that way. All easygoing and patient and—_you_."

"Well," Guy said airily, "You did pick his father, so you had at least a little to do with it. Not to mention carrying him – all three of them – _inside your body_." He shook his head, leaning back on his hands, as if still amazed at the very idea.

"Yeah, about that," Eep mumbled, looking at her hands. "I think I'm pregnant again."

Guy's eyes widened. "Uh..."

"I thought about killing you in your sleep," she continued conversationally. "But then I wouldn't have anybody to go fetch me things or build a shelter over me when I inevitably get too big to fit through the door of the house." She buried her face in her hands.

Guy put his arm around her. "You sure?"

"Pretty sure," she sighed. "I'm kind of getting familiar with this." She dropped her hands and shot him a sardonic glance.

"Oh. Okay." Guy breathed in, breathed out, and then smiled. "Wow. I know it's sooner than we probably expected, or, well, wanted, but – it's a good thing. I'm glad." He put a hand to his head, as if he felt dizzy. "I know I look kind of shocked but I swear I'm happy about this."

Eep rolled her eyes. "Easy for you to say." She sighed.

"Are you not?" Guy's arm tightened around her shoulder, and she looked up at him. His eyes were kind and sympathetic, and she saw no judgment in them.

"I'm...not sure," she said honestly. "I love our kids, I just..." she sighed. "I kind of hate being pregnant. I miss cliff climbing and hunting and running—" She made a face. "I miss being able to stand up without help and walk like a normal person." She planted her chin on her fist moodily.

She felt Guy sigh, and his fingers began to trace patterns on her shoulder. "I know," he said softly. "I wish I could do more to help—"

"I don't WANT help," Eep cried, pushing to her feet. "I don't want to NEED help."

Guy raised his hands. "I know. I know, Eep." He stood, and hugged her. "I know, I just mean—it doesn't seem fair, you having to deal with all of it." He took her shoulders and gently turned her to face the children again, standing behind her. Little Guy was on his back now with his legs up in the air, Ember balanced on his feet with her arms out, laughing as she pretended to fly.

"I love them so much," Guy said in Eep's ear. "Nan too. I was alone for so long, Eep, and now I have a family of my very own. All because of you." He paused. "I'm terrified, sometimes. Something could happen to them. Something could happen to us and they could be left all alone like I was. Or something could happen to you, and I—don't even know how I could go on, let alone raise three kids without you." He put his arms around her waist and she leaned back against him. "Something could happen to me, and you'd be left alone doing everything by yourself." Eep turned her face into his neck, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Not helping," she muttered.

Guy smiled and squeezed his arms tight around her. "My point is, even though I'm scared and there's all sorts of things that could happen, I can't possibly regret a single moment of all of this." He paused. "Well, maybe that moment a few days ago with Nan's diaper. That was pretty awful." Eep giggled in spite of herself, and Guy grinned. "Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is—I love my life. I love the kids. I love you. I know it's hard and it's not fun and you've put yourself through a lot to give me all of this. And...I'm grateful." He nuzzled her cheek. "Thank you."

"Well," Eep said, finally feeling her mood lighten a little bit. "I didn't do it all for you." She watched Ember stalk Little Guy as he pretended to look for her, wide-eyed, and wondering aloud, "Where'd she go?" and giggled as the little girl pounced triumphantly. Little Guy "died" dramatically. "I love our life too," Eep said softly, and looked up at her mate. "I love you too. Even though loving you keeps getting me in this mess," she sighed gustily. When Guy didn't answer, she looked up at him, and could see him struggling for a serious answer. Eep rolled her eyes and shoved him, hard enough to knock him to the ground.

"Hey!" he protested, laughing as he got back to his feet.

"Don't 'hey' me. We've been together long enough for me to know when you're thinking something dirty."

Guy didn't bother to deny it, grinning widely. "At least we'll have plenty of people to take care of us in our old age."

Eep snorted. "If they don't kill us first."

"It's a risk," Guy conceded, slipping his arm around her waist again. For a few minutes they watched the children play in silence.

"Why don't I go down to the valley and see if Mom and Dad would be willing to take these three off our hands for a few hours tomorrow?" Guy suggested. "We'll go find somewhere where you can demonstrate your incredible physical prowess and how completely you can beat me at anything?"

Eep couldn't stop the grin that spread over her face as she contemplated the possibilities. "That could be fun. I think I'd like that."

"Done." Guy kissed her temple. "I'll bribe them any way I have to. I'll take Nan with me and you can romp with the other two. Wear them out so we have some peace and quiet tonight."

Eep watched him pick up the baby and go, and then looked back at her two older children. Little Guy was singing tunelessly while he held onto Ember's hands, and she bounced and stomped her little feet as he led her around. "Tire them out, huh?" Eep grinned. She dropped to the ground and prowled towards her kids, growling when she caught their attention. Little Guy shrieked and threw his hands up.

"It's a monster! Come on, Ember!" He took Ember's hand and the two fled the "monster", as Eep chased after them. Eventually she pounced on Little Guy, pinning him to the ground and tickling him, while Ember shrieked and ran to defend him.


	9. Burn

_Much love to lynnwiley and Cream of the Ice for your reviews on the last chapter!_

_So I now have two collections, this one and one called "The Family Way." For the most part, anything set before Eep and Guy get married and start their own family will go here, and anything after that will go in The Family Way._

_I'm definitely suffering from some writer's block this week (still) so I've been looking through some older pieces, and I found this. Have some steam, with a side of awkward. Or maybe the other way around. You decide._

* * *

This was their morning routine, although Guy wasn't sure whether Eep was aware of it. She woke in the predawn light daily, and climbed up to her favorite ledge on the cliff wall that backed the glade they had chosen for their new home. Every morning, Guy woke as the first rays slanted across the sky, and rolled over to look for her, and watched her watch the sunrise. Sometimes she flopped on her belly on the narrow ledge, kicking her heels up behind her. Sometimes she sat on it with her legs hanging off, kicking in the air.

Today she was standing, alert, waiting, leaning, up on the balls of her feet. He wondered what she was thinking, why today was different. The light was creeping down the cliff wall, and something made him hold his breath as he waited for it to reach her.

It reached her outstretched hand first, travelled down her arm to her sloping shoulders, down and down, lighting each curve of her body. He rose up on his elbows, unconsciously leaning towards her. Light traveled over the swell of her breasts and the flare of her hips, the stripes he painted for her on her powerful thigh, down her muscular calf, until it reached her bare feet.

The sun cleared the horizon and light flooded the clearing, breaking the spell. Guy realized he was trembling and let his elbows slide out from under him, dropping his head on his forearms with a groan. He had a sinking feeling that it was going to be one of those days where she made him completely useless.

He was okay with loving her; it came as naturally as breathing now. His life would be a lot easier, though, if he just didn't _want_ her so badly. Grug had grudgingly accepted Guy's relationship with Eep, but it was perfectly clear that there were some things he would NOT accept. Aside from the fact that Guy liked living, he genuinely wanted Grug and Ugga's respect and approval, so he kept his hands (mostly) to himself. Most days, he could sublimate.

Some days, he burned.

"Hey!"

He raised his head and found Eep's face so close to his that his eyes almost crossed trying to look at her.

"Hi," he said weakly.

"Are you up?"

Guy choked back something between a laugh and a groan. "Yeah, yeah, I'm—uh, awake."

The day was torture. Eep was constantly there and worse, so was the rest of the family. Guy finally caught a break in the afternoon, as the family made their way back through the jungle after a rather unproductive foraging expedition. He and Eep were walking towards the back of the group. Guy nudged Belt. "Hey," he whispered to the sloth. "Cover for me, will you?" Belt looked at him, and then at Eep, and chortled. Guy lifted him up and let him climb up on Ugga's shoulders with Sandy. Then Guy caught Eep's hand and pulled. Eep stopped walking and looked back at him, and he tugged again, inclining his head back the way they came. His eyes flicked to the family, still walking ahead of them, and back to Eep. She followed his look and grinned, letting him pull her down the path.

He tried to contain his urgency but he was walking fast, his knuckles white on her hand. Eep didn't seem to mind; despite her shorter legs she kept pace with him easily.

"Where are we going?" she whispered.

"Here," Guy tugged her off the trail and under the arching tendrils of a tree whose leaves brushed the ground. It formed a green dome overhead, shielding them from view.

"Here?" Eep said, surprised. "Why—"

Guy grabbed her face in both hands and kissed her, hard. His hands slid back into her hair, tilting her head back for a better angle to deepen the kiss. He could feel her surprise, the catch in her breath, and she made a noise in the back of her throat that only fueled his fire. He just gave up. Relief was impossible, but this was better than nothing. His body pressed forward by itself; soon he had her braced against the trunk of the tree.

Eep stiffened suddenly, and he broke away. "What's wrong?" he asked breathlessly. She was staring at him. "Eep, what is it? Did I—" He cut off in an inarticulate gurgle when she slid her knee between his thighs. "Nngh!"

"You...want me," he heard her say, somewhere through the haze, like it was a revelation to her. Her leg fell away, leaving him gasping but at least able to think. He stepped away from her quickly, embarrassed and almost afraid, but she caught him by the arm, holding onto him with a grip that he'd never been able to break. No quick escape for him.

Maybe one day he'd learn not to underestimate her perceptiveness, but today was, apparently, not that day.

"Um..." Guy swallowed, not really sure what to say. He felt like he should apologize, but how was that supposed to work? Eep caught his chin in her other hand with surprising gentleness and made him look at her.

She didn't look angry. Her eyes were soft. "I was afraid you didn't."

His eyes widened, and he stopped pulling away from her. "Eep, I..." He gave her a lopsided smile. "Only every day." He bobbed his head uncomfortably. "More or less. Today being 'more,' clearly." _Shut up, genius._

Something flashed through her eyes that spurred his pulse again. "Really?"

Guy closed his eyes and thought of her standing on the ledge this morning, drenched in light. "Really," he said roughly, opening his eyes, and she inhaled sharply at the heat in them.

"You never..." she trailed off, letting go of his chin.

"You've seen your dad, right?" he said with his usual humor, but his eyes were still dark and intense on hers. "Big man, kinda grumpy, likes to smash things? Also, his pet, Chunky? Big claws, bigger teeth? Sound familiar?"

Eep made a face that was something between a pout and a scowl. "It shouldn't have anything to do with him. It should be my decision if I want to—"

"Do you?" he asked, very quietly, still looking at her.

She reddened all the way from her shoulders to her hair. "I—"

"It's okay," he tried to smile. "You can say no."

"Not—not no," she said slowly. "Just not—now."

"Eep, I didn't mean—I wasn't going to—" He put his hands over his face, embarrassed and relieved at the same time. "That's not why I brought you here, I swear."

"Oh," she said, her tone odd, and he took his hands from his face to look at her.

"Wait, are you—disappointed?" Guy shook his head. "Okay, this is officially the weirdest conversation we have ever had and I am very, very confused."

"Why did you bring me back here?"

"I just really wanted to kiss you," he said, touching her face. "We haven't been alone all day and I was going crazy."

She raised an eyebrow and he grinned. "Crazier."

"Well we definitely can't have you going any crazier than you already are," she said, with a slow smile that stoked the fire in his blood again. This time he didn't bother hiding the want in his eyes when he moved close to her again.

"You never looked at me like that before," she whispered as he bent towards her.

"I did," he said, chuckling. "You just never saw it."

"Well, that's a waste," she muttered, and then Guy's mouth was against hers and there were no more words for a good long time.


	10. Explosive

_Thank you lynnwiley and MaevyH for your reviews on the last chapter!_

_I started to say "here's a little fun piece" and then I thought about it and it occurred to me that maybe I have a slightly warped idea of what constitutes fun..._

* * *

**Explosive**

It was bound to happen eventually.

He stayed out of the family squabbles, generally waiting until the parties had yelled themselves out and had time to cool off before he offered his opinion, if he needed to give one. The family deferred to him almost unconsciously, a fact that made him a little uncomfortable, but it helped settle a lot of the smaller arguments that popped up day to day.

Truth be told, Guy hated conflict. Years of living alone left him unprepared for the viciousness that could erupt from what seemed to be a petty argument. Simply put, he didn't know how to fight. He could and did put forth a logical argument, but the devolution of a conversation into a shouting match was pretty far outside of his experience.

So when he found himself toe to toe and nose to nose with Eep, shouting at the top of his lungs, he really had no idea how they got there.

He didn't see the warning signs, didn't notice the hurt look on her face when he laughed at her, didn't understand the edge in her voice when she insisted it was his fault she misunderstood, and it wasn't until she shoved him and raised her voice that he realized something was wrong. She had never yelled at him before, and he defended himself without thinking, and before he understood what was happening they were fighting, and he was dredging up every petty annoyance, every aggravating habit, every ridiculous thing she'd ever done, and throwing them in her face.

He was at a disadvantage, though, because Eep DID know how to fight, knew how to exact the maximum amount of pain with her words, knew how to hit below the belt and smile like she enjoyed it.

Worse, she knew when to walk away, leaving him standing alone in the jungle, open-mouthed, stuttering, and utterly gutted. He couldn't remember everything he'd said but he remembered with absolute clarity every word she'd turned against him.

He didn't know what to do, so he walked. He put his back to the path that led home and he walked blindly, numbly. Belt whistled timidly from his waist.

"Anywhere," he answered grimly. "Anywhere that's not here."

Words floated in his head, words like smug and superior and clumsy and stubborn, as if she had anybody business calling anybody stubborn. and he did _not_ scream like a girl, which was doubly true because Eep was the only girl he knew and she didn't scream at all, except, apparently, at him, and yeah, okay, there were things he didn't know about living with other people but he never claimed to know everything, contrary to what she seemed to think, and on that subject—

He kept walking with no concept of where he were going or how long he'd been out here. He didn't know he was crying until he tripped. Great, he thought, standing up and wiping his face, because one thing he had picked up on was that men weren't supposed to cry, only he'd missed that lesson, on account of his parents dying a gruesome death when he was too young to have learned how to do things like swallow his tears and fight with his—whatever she was.

If she still was. He sat down on a fallen tree and put his head between his knees, feeling sick. Belt climbed up to cling to his arm, and stroke his neck, warbling concern. Guy tried to focus on breathing. He'd said some pretty awful things on his side, too – what did her eating habits have to do with what they were fighting about, anyway, and there was no need to bring up her snoring – they _all _snored, and for all he knew, he did too—

—and he really shouldn't have laughed at her in the first place. He'd gotten better at watching his words because sometimes she took things so literally, and it was really a sign of how intelligent she really was that she picked up on every little inconsistency in his phrasing and...

He was such an idiot. He put his face in his hands. Eep was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Because of her he had a family and a home and he really wasn't sure what love was or how it was supposed to feel, but up until this morning he'd been nearly convinced he was in love with her.

Maybe he really was. Maybe that was why this hurt so much.

Where was he going, anyway? Was anything he said really so bad that he had to leave? Because there was nothing out here for him, he knew that now. He thought of a future with no Croods, with no Gran teasing him and joking with him, no Thunk trying gamely to please everybody, no Ugga to fuss over him and worry and solve other people's problems with a surprising amount of insight, no Grug to huff and grumble and be weirdly happy in his worrying, no Sandy growing by the day and learning as fast as anyone could teach her, and no Eep to sit by him and ask questions and make him use all the words he made up so carefully, to touch his hand and snuggle up against his shoulder.

His throat closed up and his eyes stung again and suddenly the jungle, with all its natural noise and life, seemed oppressively quiet and empty and for an instant, he thought he'd rather die than go back to living alone. There had to be some way to fix this, but he didn't know how. Everyone thought he was so smart but he really was just stupid and pathetic, the weird outsider who never quite knew what was going on.

Something touched his shoulder and he jumped, reflexively pulling his knife as he lurched to his feet and stumbled back, nearly throwing Belt off his arm. The sloth squeaked and dropped to wrap back around Guy's waist.

"Woah!" Eep put her hands out. "Guy, it's just me."

He stared at her, heart pounding, chest heaving. Her eyes flicked from his face to the knife in his shaking hand. He jumped and lowered it.

"Sorry," he said, his voice ragged. "You startled me." He put his knife back in its sheath in his waistband and cleared his throat.

"You didn't come back," Eep said, lowering her hands and easing into a more casual stance. "I was worried."

"Um..." was all he could manage to say. He sounded awful and he cleared his throat again, trying to swallow the lump that was choking him. He swiped at his eyes again self-consciously.

"Were you leaving?" Eep asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

"I—" he shrugged slumped shoulders, unable to meet her eyes. "I don't know. I thought—I mean I didn't think—"

"It was just a stupid fight," she said softly. "It happens all the time. I—I didn't realize you'd be so upset." She took a tentative step towards him. He flinched away from her. She stopped, looking hurt, and his heart suddenly stopped because he needed to make it better and he was just making it worse and that was not what he wanted—

"I'm sorry," he blurted.

She looked at him. "I'm sorry," he went on, words tumbling one over another. "I'm really sorry about all those things I said – I really don't care about all that stuff, it's just—you were yelling at me and I was just so angry and I don't remember it all but I know I said some really mean things and I'm—I'm—I'm really, really sor—"

Eep grabbed his arm and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Guy, slow down." She let go of him. "I'm sorry too."

He felt like his bones had turned to water, and all he could do was stare at her numbly when she turned slightly away from him, tucking back that lock of hair that always fell in her eyes. "I was just—I know I'm not smart and I'm trying to get better, but sometimes when you laugh at me, you just make me feel so—stupid." She blushed, biting her lip. "And I hate it and you hurt my feelings and that's why I got angry."

Guy's mouth worked soundlessly.

"But that doesn't mean that you have to leave," she said, a slight tremor in her voice. "Just because you fight with someone doesn't mean you don't care about them. Or that they don't care about you," she added, looking back at him.

"I didn't mean to laugh," he said. "I just—I wasn't really thinking and I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I'm sorry. I just—I want to make this better, and I—tell me what to do, Eep, I swear I'll fix it."

She smiled affectionately. "You're so weird," she muttered, stepping close to him. She reached up and put her arms around his neck and hugged him so tightly his vision started to black out.

"Air," he squeaked, and she loosened up immediately.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, but she didn't let go.

He took a long, shaky breath, and folded his arms around her, closing his eyes. She was warm and firm and solid and he never wanted to let go. "Let's not do this again anytime soon," he mumbled into her hair. "I don't like it."

Eep sighed. "Fights happen. It's just part of being around each other so much. You fight and then you cool off and you make up. It's normal. Just—don't go running off by yourself into the jungle next time." She smiled. "Make sure I can find you the next time I'm ready to say I'm sorry." She paused. "I am, by the way. Sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you too. I didn't mean it."

"Really?" he asked, his spirits finally lifting slightly.

"Well. Most of it. You do scream like a girl, but it wasn't nice of me to bing it up." She paused. "Do I really snore that badly?"

Guy choked on a laugh. "No. I mean, sort of. Gran's worse."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Eep grumbled.

"You're not stupid," Guy mumbled, his face pressed into her hair again.

"What?" Eep said.

Guy raised his head. "I said you're not stupid. You're really smart, Eep, it's amazing how fast you learn. You never stop surprising me."

She pulled back and looked at him at that, her expression somewhere between shocked and hurt. For a moment, he panicked, trying to figure out what he had said wrong, and then suddenly, he got it. "Eep," he smiled, touching her face. "I love surprises."

"You do?" she asked, her expression relaxing slightly.

"Yeah," Guy nodded, and pressed his forehead to hers. "I really, really do."

"You didn't seem to like surprises all that much a moment ago," she teased, and he chuckled weakly.

"You scared me a little, but it was still a good surprise. There definitely wasn't anything I wanted to see more right then."

She smiled and pressed forward to rub her nose against his. "Are we good now?"

"Yeah," Guy said, returning the gesture. "I think so. Right?"

"Yeah." She rose up on her toes slightly and kissed him. He didn't feel in the best shape for kissing right then with his wet face and stuffy nose, but he kissed her back anyway, the sensation sparking a comfortable warmth that spread to the tips of his fingers and toes, releasing tension he didn't know he'd been carrying.

Suddenly he felt exhausted.

"Can we go home now?" he asked with a lopsided smile.

Eep smiled and linked her arm through his, turning him towards home.


End file.
